It has been too long...

I have severely neglected Ghost of Blind Lemon in the past week or so. Between my real job, long hours at work, and feeling really damn tired, the blog has suffered. There are so many things I should have written about. I’ve missed two fabulous CD release parties: one for The Crash That Took Me at Sons of Hermann Hall, the other for Doug Burr at The Cavern. I am especially excited about Doug Burr’s CD, On Promenade, finally being released. I haven’t gotten the opportunity to listen to the album in its entirety, but what I’ve heard already makes it a strong contender for “Local CD of the Year”. For the time being, you can go to the Spune website and download Burr’s song “In the Garden” absolutely free of charge. In fact, I encourage you to do so… after you’ve finished reading this, of course.

I still haven’t gotten the Macon Greyson CD review finished yet. I make no promises when it will get done, but I’d rather have it delayed than to rush the review. I’ll say this much ahead of time: I’d hate to do a hasty review and rob them of the glory they so deserve. Never fear though, I will get the review done for 20th Century Accidents.

I do not have the time to discuss everything I’ve missed out on during the past week. There is, however, one show I would be remiss if I did not review. Thursday night’s tribute to Carter Albrecht at White Rock Coffee was an intensely emotional evening filled with beautiful music. Jayson Bales kicked off the evening with two songs, one of which was a tribute to Carter. If you would like to purchase his CD, Cruel & Unusual, you can purchase it here through the website of Kate Mackley, the women who booked this fabulous show at White Rock Coffee. All proceeds from the CD go to the Carter Albrecht Memorial Fund.

Rahim Quazi followed and performed his tribute to Carter entitled “The Sparrow Has Landed”. You can hear the song on Rahim's MySpace, plus he will be performing it again this Saturday night at the Granada Theater.

Blue Petal followed, performing what was only their second live show. Lead singer Manya Repnikova was apparently nervous, though I’m not certain of why. She is a very talented singer, with a voice so strong that it cannot be ignored. With a little extra confidence on behalf of their lead singer, the sky would be the limit for this band.

Chris Holt played a handful of songs, both originals as well as covers of songs written by Carter. He even shared with the audience that Carter taught him the proper tunings in order to be able to play some of the songs from his upcoming solo CD. At times, Holt’s voice even sounded eerily like Carter’s. If this is how good the songs sound when played by Chris, I can hardly wait to hear what the album sounds like.

The evening wrapped up with performances by Sorta frontman Trey Johnson, Jenn Nabb, and Eric Neal. Since Jenn rarely performs, this was an extra special treat. There were moments in her set that if her vocal performance was any more intense, I would’ve been in tears. It was a wonderful conclusion to a beautiful night of performances and memories about Carter.

Oklahoma Bad, Free Drink Good

Oklahoma beat us, 28-21. I didn’t see the game, and right about now, I’m glad I didn’t. Now comes the worst part. I will be surrounded by Oklahomans tonight who will be gloating over their school’s victory. Of course, here’s the bright side. Tomorrow they’ll leave here to go back to Oklahoma, and I’ll be staying in Dallas. Now who’s the winner?

Speaking of winning, here’s a little contest. We’ll see if anyone wins. As I mentioned earlier, I’ll be at Adair’s watching the ever fabulous Macon Greyson. If you’re the first person tonight to come up to me and say “Ghost of Blind Lemon rules, Oklahoma sucks,” then I’ll buy you a drink of your choosing.

Fake Legal Disclaimer: This offer is only valid for Texas citizens. Anyone wearing any OU gear is not eligible to win. Oh, and a pitcher is not “a drink”, so don’t even try that.

Texas/OU weekend shows

I’m a lot later on my weekend update than I wanted to be. I hope some of you found your way over to either The Moon or Club Dada in order to see THe BAcksliders. Also, Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights played at The Cavern, and I’m sure it was so packed that it would even make canned sardines feel claustrophobic. Either way, whether or not you saw those shows, I still have some choice selections for tonight.

.

• Another show I forgot to mention from Friday was Inner City All Stars’ gig at Gator’s in downtown Dallas. But tonight gives you a second chance to see them at Gezellig. This is one of the best party bands in town, so be prepared for lots of drinking, dancing, and partying.
• Flickerstick will play at The Aardvark tomorrow night. Here’s a simple math equation: Flickerstick + Texas OU Weekend + Drunken TCU students =chaos to the nth degree. I’m not sure what effect opening bands Holy Moly, Swilley, and Tame..Tame and Quiet will have on the equation. Any student with a double major in mathematics and moshing should consider this event mandatory. On the bright side, homework has never been so much fun.
• Dan’s Silverleaf is the place to be tonight to watch the results of the Rock Lottery. For those of you unfamiliar with the process, 25 musicians are chosen to participate in the event. These musicians are divided into 5 groups, where they have one day to create a band name and write songs to perform that evening. Go to the Rock Lottery MySpace page for more details.
• Last, but DEFINITELY not least, Macon Greyson plays at Adair’s tonight. Every year they play there for the Texas/OU weekend, and this will be my fourth year to see them there. It is my Red River showdown tradition, and you should consider making it yours too. Hope to see you there, and I hope we’ll be celebrating a Longhorns triumph!

Oh, and I promise, the MG album review is coming soon!

Miscellaneous musings

Here are some random things I felt like passing on to my readers:

• My computer got a nasty virus this past weekend, but it seems to be ok now.

• I wanted to do a proper “Farewell to Wreck Room” article Sunday, but the above mentioned virus prevented me from doing so. It seems anti-climactic at this point, so maybe when Lola’s opens up, I can do a “Goodbye Wreck Room, Hello Lola” article instead.

• Here’s another something for you Fort Worth people. Black Tie Dynasty play Thursday night at 8.0 along with Burning Hotels, so feel free to start your weekend early.

• Thanks to Natalie Darrah from Fat Caddy Records for sending me 20th Century Accidents. A review of the album is in the works.

• Thanks to all who voted for THe BAcksliders. Alas, some band called Boy Caught Dream is the recipient of KDGE's band of the week title. There's still next week though.

• For those who didn’t know already, Ghost of Blind Lemon has its own Myspace page. Click here to see it, and if I’m not your friend already, feel free to add me as a friend.

• I predict Texas will beat OU 63-0. It probably won’t happen quite like that, but I can dream, can’t I? On a similar note, keep your eyes open for my list of things to over the Texas-OU weekend. It’ll be a long list featuring so many good options it’s making my head hurt just thinking about it.

Check in tomorrow night; hopefully by then the Macon Greyson CD review will be posted. For now though, it’s time for me to get some sleep, and maybe have sweet dreams of Texas annihilating OU.

Major oversight on my part

I forgot to mention a very important show in my previous entry. A Pacific Model are playing at Cavern tonight, and this may be their last show for quite awhile. This is a shame; when I saw them play at Club Dada, their set was one of my highlights of that day. If you're a fan of soaring melodies with great keyboard hooks, this is the band for you. The Last Gasp and Paul Banks open up for A Pacific Model.

Choices, Choices, Choices

Another weekend is upon us, and with it comes a multitude of cool shows. Check it out.

Friday:
• Telegraph Canyon headline a Secret Headquarters show, with Slider Pines and The Felons opening. The only band on the lineup I haven’t seen live yet is The Felons yet, but this video shows definite promise. I gotta check them out… sooner rather than later preferably. While you’re at SHQ, pick up a $10 card that gets you into 4 shows there. It’s a great “buy two, get two free” deal, and it will help the venue through a rough financial month. If you’ve never been there, it’s a small but cool BYOB style venue, and it’d be a shame for Denton to lose this, so buy a card and support SHQ.
• Glen Reynolds is headlining a Double Wide show. He’s bringing his backup band, The Ted Danson Three. That’s right, Glen Reynolds and the Ted Danson Three. I wonder if Mr. Danson is in the band. Even if he isn’t, Glen’s worth the price of admission alone, so when you throw in Smile Smile and EyesWingsAndManyOtherThings, featuring members of Theater Fire, it’s an even better deal.
• The Tah Dah’s and Vaqueros Electronicos play at City Tavern. I haven’t seen Clay Pendergrass in action yet; that needs to change soon. Maybe they can play a show with The Felons so I can kill two birds with one stone.

Saturday:
• Spend a full evening with Fishing For Comets at City Tavern. Go there and you won’t need to take Prozac for the next month. That’s how much this band can cheer you up.
• Needing a Beatles fix? The Hard Night’s Day show at Barley House is just what the doctor order then.
• The Valentines give the Denton crowd something to do Saturday night. They headline Andy’s, along with Austin band Alpha Rev and Denton's own Villains.
• Here’s another great option for those in Denton. Red Monroe, Hogpig, The Angelus, and Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights bring their A-game to Rubber Gloves. I'm not sure if Jonathan Tyler is the headliner or not, but get their early in case he is. You don't want to miss him. Trust me.
• Fort Worth, don’t feel left out. Calhoun headlines a stellar lineup at the Aardvark, featuring The Frontier Brothers, Smile Smile, and Telegraph Canyon.
• Last, but definitely not least, Backsliders headline a Double Wide show featuring A Few Nice Things, Dragna, and New Orleans’ own Bones. By the way, have you voted for THe BAcksliders yet? If not, what’s wrong with you? Read my article "BAcksliders on the BAllot" and see where to vote!

That’s it. What, you wanted more? Come on, if you can’t find something on that list that you like, then your musical taste buds need therapy.

BAcksliders on the BAllot

Ever since THe BAcksliders played my birthday show last year, I’ve become a fan of the band, and the new songs in particular are catchier than the common cold. If you haven’t heard their new stuff, go to their myspace and take a listen. Pay particular attention to “Fat Girls”, which I could see being a hit for the band. Once you’ve listened, if you like what you hear (which if you have good musical taste you will), then help THe BAcksliders out by voting for them.

First, vote here for THe BAcksliders as best band at the website Music Nation. If they win the competition, they get a record contract. It may be a long shot for the band, but it is still worth the shot, so sign up at Music Nation and vote!

Second, the band is vying for the title of KDGE’s “Band of the Week.” I’ve sampled some of the artists on the list, and with the exception of Johnny Lloyd Rollins, no one is even in the same LEAGUE as THe BAcksliders. Music Nation may indeed be a long shot, but I know that THe BAcksliders could win this, especially if everyone who reads this clicks here to vote for them. You can also listen to “Fat Girls” through the same link.

This is a great opportunity to help a great band get more of the recognition that they so deserve, so don’t put it off. Start voting dammit!

Feelin' naughty sugar?

OK, I know what you’re thinking. Get your mind out of the gutter. That’s not what I’m talking about here.

I’m talking about the band Team Evil. Ever since I heard that John Jay (Happiness Factor, Crash Vinyl) had a new band, my curiosity was piqued, especially since I heard he actually sang in this band as well as played drums. It took me long enough, but I finally saw them several weekends ago at the Lakewood Bar & Grill, and I was not disappointed. Instead, it actually surpassed my expectations. Their set was essentially an auditory assault on the earlobes, and I mean that in the best way possible. I guess I’d classify the music as power-pop, except that in the case of Team Evil, 99% of the emphasis should be put on the word “POWER.” Not to worry though; for as much as they rock (and they definitely do rock), Team Evil still manages to write solid songs with solid hooks.

If you want to check out the band’s sound, turn up your computer speakers to 11 and check out this video of their song “Naughty Sugar.” Feel the power. Feel the music. Feel “Naughty Sugar.” Geez, is that all you think about?



Note: Team Evil prefers this live version of the song, whereas I think the sound quality of the former is better. So, I'm splitting the difference and featuring both.

WSOF ’07 A.D.D. Style

When you have a show the size of the Wall of Sound Festival, it would be easy to write an excessively long review of the show. To discuss all the bands that played, it would almost be unavoidable. That could make for a painfully long read that could really tax one’s attention span. Not like that would be a problem for me; I show no signs of A.D.D. whatsoever and I resent anyone who would dare imply… ooh, shiny.

Where was I? That’s right. While I clearly don’t have A.D.D., I wanted to present my review in such a format that it’ll keep your attention. So what follows is a review of every artist I saw, with one catch. All performance reviews shall be 25 words or less. Here we go:

Daniel Folmer – Didn’t see much of his set, but it sounded promising. Worth a second listen.

Sarah Jaffe – Great acoustic sounds featuring Kris Youmans on cello. Sarah, you are a brilliant songwriter and wonderful singer. I think I’m in love with you.

Eleven Hundred Springs – One of the better country bands from around these parts. The perfect soundtrack for a day spent in Cowtown.

The Lemurs – New wavish style band from Austin. If you like Black Tie Dynasty, you’ll probably like this band too.

The Burning Hotels – I originally dismissed them as standard EDGE fare. Their songs are way too catchy and fun to put down. I was wrong. It happens sometimes.

Astronautalis – He performed the best rap I’ve ever heard about a girl in a hurricane. Honest.

Red Monroe – First curse to SPUNE: The 15 minutes I saw was not long enough. A great rockin’ set from a band destined for stardom.

Calhoun – Curse number 2: Scheduling conflicts only allowed me a mere two Calhoun songs. This band is a fine wine that gets better with age.

Pleasant Grove – Chillin’ on the lawn with DB and his buddies, listening to Pleasant Grove. Good times, good friends, good music. Pure awesomeness.

Ghosthustler – They could’ve been the soundtrack to a perfect dance party, if only it wasn’t too damn hot to dance.

Record Hop – A solid set by this great noise rock band. Ashley Cromens, you have one hell of a set of pipes on you.

the pAper chAse - fAbulous set feAturing pAper chAse's trAdemArk dissonAnt heAvy style. jAson gArner is A greAt Addition to the bAnd.

Black Tie Dynasty – Sound issues, allergies, and burning eyes tainted what should have been a highlight of the show. The band still played its ass off.

The Baptist Generals – I was sitting in the back of the stadium, relaxing to the pleasant sounds of Baptist Generals.

The Sword – They sounded as loud in the back as Record Hop did by the speakers. Too damn loud, guys. Way too loud.

Micah P. Hinson – His Springsteen-esque voice acted as a salve to my ears after the Sword. This is one talented dude.

Brothers and Sisters – Country/pop group from Austin reminiscent of the Byrds. This band knows how to write catchy tunes. Please, come to Dallas again soon.

Doug Burr – His perfectly written songs had the audience captivated. Hands down, this was the best performance I saw all day.

Alas, my friend was too tired to stick around later, so that’s all I can review. I regret missing Midlake and Explosions in the Sky, but I was also sunburned and exhausted and glad to get home to rest. Note to SPUNE: there’s something to be said for INDOOR venues. Still, in spite of sound difficulties during the sets of both BTD and Brothers and Sisters, scheduling difficulties on Stage 3, as well as the heat, it was still a wonderful concert. Let’s see what Lance Yocum can do to top this year. Again, might I suggest an indoor venue? Just a suggestion.

Do You Have a Phobia of Baseball Stadiums?

It dawned on me that some of my readers might have a fear of baseball stadiums. I googled the terms “baseball stadiums” and “phobias”, and did not come up with no one has come up with an official name for such a phobia. Nevertheless, such a thing may exist, and if it does, the thought of the Wall of Sound Festival at LaGrave field in Fort Worth must be causing some major panic attacks. Never fear, Ghost of Blind Lemon is here with some cool weekend options that do not involve being in a baseball stadium.

• The Chemistry Set will play at City Tavern, along with Irony and Vaqueros Electronicos
• Rahim Quazi will headline at Opening Bell Coffee. Kevin Carroll and Idgy Vaughan play as well.
• Shibboleth, Shanghai 5, Colin Boyd, and the Zounds Sounds School of Rock (among others) will play at the Taste of Deep Ellum festival at Sons of Hermann Hall.
• Also, Car Stereo (Wars) and Astronautalis play the WOSF after party at the non-baseball stadium Wreck Room, although those who didn’t attend the festival have to pay a $10 cover charge.

If you do have the baseball stadium phobia, however, one common form of treatment is exposure therapy, where you are exposed to what you fear. This would be the perfect weekend for such therapy at LaGrave Field. So confront your fears and enjoy the show.